Heung-min Son double enough for nervy Spurs as pressure eases on Ange Postecoglou

HOFFENHEIM 2-3 TOTTENHAM: Heung-min Son scored twice with James Maddison also finding the net on another tricky evening for injury-hit Spurs in Germany

TOTTENHAM’S walking wounded remain on course for the round of 16.

But after a dominant start in which they were two goals up after 22 minutes, Ange Postecoglou’s exhausted team had to sweat before Heung-min Son settled their nerves just as they began flirting with another horror result.

Hoffenheim, who are three points above the Bundesliga drop, were welcoming hosts and kindly allowed Spurs to do early damage through James Maddison and Son.

But with 14 players out and a bench that could only be half filled with outfield players who had a combined six senior starts, overworked Tottenham allowed Anton Stach to pull one back.

However just as it seemed that Hoffenheim were looking good for a leveller, Son smashed home to ensure a home win against Elfsborg next week will be enough to avoid next month’s play-off round.

Yet there was still late discomfort and David Mokwa was left unmarked in the final minute to make it 3-2 with the visitors clinging on through five minutes of added time.

Maddison’s opener came with three minutes on the clock after he brought down Pedro Porro’s pump over the top with an exquisite first touch.

With time and space in front of him, Maddison drilled into the roof of the net with his second.

Son and Porro went close to adding a second inside the opening quarter hour and the only sniff of concern before the captain made it 2-0 was when the ball struck Rodrigo Bentancur’s hand in the penalty area.

The video officials took a look but decided that Bentancur’s arm was by his side, the touch was entirely accidental and not worthy of a spot kick.

And moments after that Finn Ole Becker was the architect of Spurs’ second by playing a sloppy backpass that Maddison comfortably nicked near the centre circle with Hoffenheim’s centre halves caught far too high up.

His through ball was deflected to Son, whose shot came off Pavel Kaderabek before looping over Oliver Baumann and in.

Brandon Austin was finally called into meaningful action when getting down well to get a strong right hand to Tom Bischof’s attempt.

And the goalkeeper was also alert to deny Max Moerstedt, aided by good pressure from Archie Gray, as Spurs began to cough up chances nearing the break.

Lucas Bergvall should really have put the result beyond doubt when getting his head on a Maddison free kick but his connection was mildly misjudged and Baumann saved.

Hoffenheim emerged for the second period with a sense of purpose and Andrej Kramaric watched a fine header glaze the crossbar.

Stach then blazed over and an audacious effort from Bischof crept narrowly wide with Austin sprawling uncertainly.

And with Spurs unable to find a way to release the pressure Austin appeared to have been harshly penalised for Moerstedt when trying to clear a cross.

It took three minutes for the decision to be overturned but the right decision was made eventually.

But any suggestion that the break would stall Hoffenheim’s momentum and gather Tottenham’s thoughts was soon disproven when Stach slid home to chop the deficit in half.

It came from a low cross by David Jurasek, who was allowed to get past an evidently tiring Porro too easily.

But Hoffenheim’s own confidence remained fragile and Son finished well for 3-1 when Bentancur set Mikey Moore away on a counterattack.

There was still time for Mokwa, who was left entirely unmarked, to power in Kramaric’s centre and Spurs saw out an unnecessarily tense added time.

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